When I'm with you, I'm home
by Nyx Nox
Summary: Lucius kept his fingers at her chin, brushing his thumb along the length of her jaw and over her lips. He was transfixed by her presence and unable to stop looking at her. His words were few but he believed the brief exchanges were enough. Anything more and he might wake up and realize it was all a dream. Lucius Malfoy's arrival home after Azkaban. One shot.
Standing in the center of the dining room didn't feel like home. Lucius wasn't sure how long he stood there for, but one thing was certain. Things changed in his absence and he no longer felt welcome in his family's home. They wouldn't let him see his wife or change out of his prison uniform. It would not be allowed until the Dark Lord was certain Lucius understood he was worthless now.

Disappointment. Failure. **Bastard**. The words no longer stung since they were nothing in comparison to the ones constantly running through his head. His wife should have deserted him and his son probably hated him. The worst thing about being gone was not being able to see them - Not being able to remember the way Cissa's hair smelled and failing to recall the sound of his son's laughter.

Being home didn't feel real. It couldn't be. The place was overrun with death eaters, the dining room rearranged so that the tables were arranged in a single line. His father wouldn't have let this happen. His father. The elder Malfoy passed away shortly before his arrest, leaving Lucius with little time to grieve. His vision clouded over by the time the Dark Lord was through with chastising him, dismissing him as though he was some sort of servant.

He stood in the center of the room once the meeting adjourned, staring blankly at one of the portraits on the wall. Lucius was a loss for what to do and didn't have it in him to ask one of the others about where his family was. They could have left him for something better, abandoned him for his actions, or been severely punished for it on top of everything else. Knowing this was the one thing that kept him from asking.

Fortunately, he didn't have to. The negative train of thought he had was interrupted by a loud sob and something colliding into his chest, nearly knocking the wind out of him. A floral scent disrupted his thoughts, causing Lucius to let out a sob of his own. He didn't need to look down to know it was his wife. Lucius wrapped his arms around her, tugging her tightly to him.

"They didn't tell me you were home," Narcissa mumbled against his chest. Lucius couldn't look at her. He was afraid she would disappear if he did. He couldn't bear to, but he eventually forced himself to glance down at her, grasping her chin when he did. She was there. He didn't want to let go.

"You're still here," Lucius was certain the words got caught in the back of his throat. It was strange to hear his voice after months spent only speaking when necessary. He sounded defeated and wasn't sure he wanted the answer to his next question. "And Draco?"

"He's fine," Narcissa answered, having a feeling now was not the time to fill her husband in on everything that happened during his absence. Lucius kept his fingers at her chin, brushing his thumb along the length of her jaw and over her lips. He was transfixed by her presence and unable to stop looking at her. His words were few but he believed the brief exchanges were enough. Anything more and he might wake up and realize it was all a dream.

"I don't want him to see me like this," He bit into his lower lip, then leaned down to timidly press his lips over Narcissa's. She kissed him back and he swore he didn't want the moment to end. "Can we -" Lucius had to take a deep breath once he pulled back from the kiss. "Can we move to our bedroom?" He wanted to hold her, but the dining room was far too open for his liking. It left him feeling vulnerable.

"Of course, my love," His wife whispered, a light frown etching across her lips. Lucius shifted forward when she moved to step away from him, fear apparent in his eyes. Narcissa pressed her lips together to suppress the look and slipped her hand in his, giving him a gentle squeeze to show she wasn't planning on abandoning him.

"Promise you won't leave me?" He asked. It was impossible to bring up the mask he spent most of his life on perfecting. He was home, she was there, and their son was alive. That was more than he hoped to come back to once he was free, so calling upon it shouldn't have been a problem.

"I promise," She nodded and gave his hand another squeeze. "Now let's get you out of those rags."


End file.
